R’ville, Steinert, NBC all thinking about sectional titles
With the state championship games set for this weekend, the New Jersey high school softball season is very much in the home stretch. As for the Pennsylvania teams, the fun has just begun.
With the action set to get underway Tuesday afternoon following the holiday weekend, here’s where things currently stand for area teams still alive in the post-season:
On Tuesday the NJSIAA playoffs resume with the sectional finals. This includes Steinert (20-5) at Northern Burlington (23-2) in C.J. Group III and Johnson (19-5) at Robbinsville (23-1) in C.J. Group II.
To be played under the lights, the Steinert-NBC game is a rematch from earlier in the year that NBC won 3-0 with all three runs in the sixth inning. Steinert, of course, has been to the state final the last two years and did a very good job Friday of bouncing back from a loss to Robbinsville in the MCT championship game by handing Burlington Township just its second loss of the year.
With the help of a triple play, defending state champion Robbinsville is coming off a one-run victory over Matawan and will face another tough test against a Johnson team led by the pitching and hitting of Nicole Cassano.
Seneca (13-7) will also be in action today when it travels to Hammonton (18-7) in the S.J. Group III final. Seneca has been one of the success stories of the year and has really come on since freshman Emily Spencer became the No. 1 pitcher.
The sectional champions are scheduled to be back in action Thursday in the state semifinals. The winners of those games will then play for state titles on either Saturday or Sunday.
There’s also the matter of the Tournament of Champions next week. From this corner, it just doesn’t make a lot of sense to have five of the six state champions end the season with a loss. Furthermore, you already know more often than not some Parochial A team loaded up with recruits it going to win the TOC.
Turning to Pennsylvania, the PIAA districts will be completed this week and the state tournament will get underway next Monday.
On the local front in the District 1 Class 6A bracket, surging Council Rock North (14-7) will be at Garnet Valley (16-7) in a semifinal following Friday’s big win over Neshaminy that clinched a state tourney berth. Garnet Valley features an outstanding freshman shortstop in Morgan Mesaros.
Neshaminy (17-4) needs to win two games in the consolation bracket to make states and goes for the first one at home against Downingtown West (15-6) Tuesday.
Conwell-Egan plays for the District 12 Class AA title when it takes on Philadelphia Academy Charter on Thursday at 1 p.m. at Archbishop Ryan. The Eagles will be a big favorite there and should they win they will take on District 1 champion Bristol on Monday at a neutral site.